911
by Kellcat
Summary: The VCTF team is in New York on Sept 11th investigating a crime when they become caught up in bigger events. SJR *COMPLETE*Please Review
1. September 11, 7:45am

Title: 911

Author: Kellcat

A/N: I began writing this after the attack on the Twin Towers.  My uncle is NYC firefighter and I did a lot of research to make sure I wasn't too offbase with reality.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, those who did, didn't dosuch a bang up job with them, I promise I'll try to do better!

Summary: Bailey, Sam, John and George are in New York investigating their latest case when they become witnesses and participants in a much greater crisis.

**911**

September 11, 7:45am 

            New York was waking up for as much as any city that never sleeps wakes up.  It was more like the changing of a work shift.  The night people were disappearing into their nooks and crannies and they were being replaced with the business suits and brief cases of the day shift.  New York was like that; it could change from one thing to another in the blink of an eye.  The sun was rising and a warm, clean glow washed over the gritty city, the sun reflecting off the silver and glass of the skyscrapers that littered the skyline.  It was a going to be a beautiful morning.

            The traffic was already thick, bumper-to-bumper and moving slowly.  Agitated drivers honked their horns, flashed their middle fingers and yelled at each other as the cars inched along to their destinations. Sitting in the middle of all this chaos were two VCTF agents from Atlanta.  George really didn't mind the delay.  He was thrilled to be in New York and although he was working he had decided that he was going to enjoy himself for the few short days they were staying.  John on the other hand was not enjoying himself.  It's not that he didn't like New York, he really was rather indifferent on the subject, it was just that there was somewhere else he would have rather been right then.

September 8, 11:15 pm 

            It had been a great night.  No, it had been the greatest night of his life John thought as he walked the beautiful blonde he had spent the last 4 hours with, up to her door.  It felt a little awkward with the other agents guarding the place, kind of like bringing home your date and finding her parents sitting on the front porch waiting.  John wasn't quite sure how to end the evening, give her a quick kiss, give her a long kiss, shake her hand or what.  They stood in front of the firehouse for what felt like an eternity to John when Sam finally put him out of his misery and broke the silence.

            "Would you like to come in for a few minutes?" she asked.

John's answer was visible in his face.  Sam almost had to laugh when she saw his face light up, like a kid on Christmas morning. 

            "Yes, of course…. Ahh well, if its ok, I mean if ahh, well you know, ahh Chloe…" John sputtered becoming very self-conscious.

Sam loved it when John got like this, vulnerable.  She knew that underneath all his bravado was a sweet and loving, but hurting little boy and she just wanted to love him and protect him.  She reached out and took his hand.

            "It's okay, Chloe is spending the weekend with Angel at her parents house. Come on."

September 11, 8:15 am 

The cab came to a screeching halt, jolting John back to the reality of the back seat of a New York Yellow Cab.  

            "Jersey driver!" the cab driver yelled, though only George and John could hear him.

            "Look, we can see the Towers from here." John said, peering through the dirty windshield of the cab.

            "Yeah, let's just walk.  Hey buddy, you can let us off here." George yelled to the driver who was still engaged in a battle of words with the driver in front of him.

The driver looked annoyed but complied with his fare's wishes and dumped his passengers off on West Street between Barclay and Vesey.  The sidewalks leading up to the Trade Center Plaza were as crowded as the streets.  John and George made their way past one tower and quickly joined the flowing mass through the plaza and into the second tower.

            "What floor are these guys on?" George asked 

They walked up to a bank of elevators.  They were engulfed in a sea of suits and briefcases, men and women, talking on cell phones, looking over the sales figures and downing that last little bit of Starbucks coffee while they all waited for the elevator doors to open.

            "Looks like the 66th." John said looking at a small piece of paper that had the contact scribbled on it.  

The doors opened and John and George were swept into the elevator with the tide of their fellow passengers.  There was barely room to breath and George was wondering how he was going to manage to keep his claustrophobia at bay for 66 floors.  A few people got off on lower floors but the elevator remained overstuffed.  John could see George's anxiety building as the elevator continued to rise.

            "We could have taken the stairs." He whispered.

            "Not in _my_ lifetime." George shot back.

Finally, the doors opened up on the 66th floor and George nearly leaped out as he gasped for air.  

            "What's the matter?  Not into sharing your personal space with 35 strangers." John smiled as he looked around to get his bearings.

            "Down this way." He pointed as he patted George on the shoulder.

September 8, 11:30 pm 

This wasn't the first time John had been alone with Sam in her place, but it didn't keep his heart from racing and his palms from sweating.

            'Geez Grant, you're acting like this is the first time you have been out with a woman..  Chill out!' John thought as he tried to act relaxed.

They walked into the living room and Sam threw her self down onto the couch like a rag doll.

            "I'm pooped!" She exclaimed after she had let out a huge sigh.

John looked around, is she trying to give me a signal that I should leave? No, she wouldn't have asked me in.  John stood there trying to figure out what exactly he should do. Once again Sam rescued him.

            "Just sit down! What's wrong with you tonight? You have been acting so goofy!"

'Goofy? Did she just call me goofy?' John thought as he sat down at the opposite end of the couch.  Sam just giggled as she watched him; he was acting like a 16 year old            "So…whaddya want to do?" her eyebrows jumping as she asked.

John couldn't believe his eyes and ears!  Exactly what did she have in mind, he thought.  He certainly knew what he wanted to do but he figured that would earn him a slap across the face.  He began to question whether he was reading her right.  He had been wrong too many times tonight to take a chance on being this wrong.  Searching for the right words he realized that his mouth had suddenly become parched.

            "Something to drink?" he managed to get out.

Sam popped up off the couch.  "Sure, whaddya want?" she said as she headed into the kitchen and he followed.

            "Something cold." He had stopped right behind her.  She turned to answer him but hadn't realized how close he was to her.  She looked up into his eyes and held his stare.  He had no idea who had initiated it, but before either could take another breath, they were in an embrace. Kissing each other deeply, their hands exploring each other's bodies like their tongues explored each other's mouth.

September 11, 8:40 am 

"John. Hey John." 

John realized who was calling his name.  It wasn't Sam, it was George.

            "Hey, are you with us?" George whispered, looking up from his laptop.

John looked over to his friend, as the suits they had just finished interviewing were getting up from their seats.  They still had four more interviews before they were out of there.  John just wished they could get them over with; he needed to talk to Sam.  He couldn't get last weekend out of his head.  Did she really love him or was it a big mistake for her?  John couldn't think anymore, suddenly his head was filled with a loud roar.  

            "What the hell is that?" he heard one of the suits in the room shout.

People began running toward the windows trying to see what was making that horrible noise, hoping it wasn't what it sounded like.  It was. 

The plane struck the building at exactly 8:45 am. Crowding at the windows, looking toward the north tower, people were clamoring to get a look at the carnage a few hundred feet away from themselves.  Black smoke began billowing out of what used to be financial offices; pieces of steel and glass began falling away from the giant like little flecks of glitter.  The enormity of the situation had not yet begun to set in on those witnessing the event.

            "Holy shit! That plane just hit the tower!" George yelled, his head turning from John to glance back at the scene once again.

            "What the fuck! How the hell can a plane smash into the fucking World Trade Center! The goddamn pilot would have brought it back for an emergency landing if there was a problem!" John said to George as he searched his pockets for his cell phone.

People were running everywhere.  A voice was heard above the panic, "Stay calm, stay calm," but nobody was listening.  John finally had gotten through on his cell phone to his boss, Bailey Malone.  Bailey and Dr. Samantha Waters were across town at the scene of the crime they were in New York investigating.

            "Bailey, some fucking plane just hit the north tower. There is smoke and shit everywhere.  It's a fucking mess over there." John described, trying to stay clam on the phone.

            "Where are you and George? George is still with you right?" The panic in Bailey's voice made John even more nervous.

            "Yeah, he's here. We are on the 66th floor." 

            "Get out of there John, Sam and I will meet you at the Marriott."

Before John could say anything to either Bailey or George the crowd lunged toward a stairwell.

They started down the stairs, one by one.  It was far more orderly then one would have expected but then again, it was the _other_ tower that was on fire.  More and more people joined them on the stairs as they past the 55th, then 51st then the 48th floors.  An elderly woman had stopped.  She had evacuated from the 94th floor and had just stopped on the 48th    and she could go no more.  A few people pushed by her, but a couple of middle aged brokers, stopped, put their arms around her waist and began slowly bringing her down the stairs.  On the 30th floor George stopped, he had to catch his breath.  For some strange reason he glanced at his watch, it felt as though it should be later but it was only 9:04 in the morning.

9:05 am 

First there was a roar, no, it was more like a scream, the scream of an engine, then there was a crash.  It was louder then anything any of them had ever heard before, like being inside a cloud when it thunders.  John felt it resonate through his body.  'This isn't good' he thought.

            "What was that?" a voice in the crowd asked.

            "Did the other building explode?" Someone else queried.

John felt a buzz on his hip and reached down for his phone.

            "Grant." 

            "John, where are you guys?" It was Bailey and he sounded even more upset.

John looked around at the crowds of people, all trying to figure out what to do, what was happening.

            "We're on the 30th floor," he replied.

            "Get the hell out of there John, Now!" Bailey screamed in the phone.

            "We're trying to Bail…" John started.

            "Another plane just hit, it hit the south tower. Get out of there fast."

John looked around, wondering if anyone around him had heard what Bailey had just told him.  They were all in the same state of panic they were before and John decided he wouldn't change that by sharing his new information with anyone.

            "George, let's move," John said in a voice so calm that it even surprised himself.

He looked at his friend, leaning against the wall of the stairwell.  Sweat was streaming down his face and his hair was even more unkempt then normal.  

            "Yeah, give me a second John, I just need to…" Before George was able to finish, he felt John's arm swing around his shoulders and move him away from the wall.

            "No, we have to go now." 

They continued down the stairs, following the exodus to safety. 28th… 25th… 20th… they continued marching downward.  As they passed the 19th floor they were met by firefighters climbing up the stairs.  As each man climbed the stairs, loaded down with equipment, he was met with cheers and thank you's as he raced up toward the danger.  John stopped one of the firemen, showed him his badge and inquired about the immediate danger they might be in.

            He just looked at John with a look of desperation and said, "You need to get out of here," and then he continued up the stairs.

They had just ten more floors to go, but John could see that the physical exertion coupled with the how crowded it was in the stairwell was getting to be too much for George.

            "Come on George, we are almost there."  The pace of those going down had slowed tremendously while the firefighters continued to pour up the stairs, as fast as they could haul themselves and all their equipment. 


	2. September 11, 9:43am

9:43 am 

They were almost out, one last set of stairs and they would be out of the building, out of the smoke, out of this nightmare.  Like catching a second wind, the refugees from the south tower of the World Trade Center hit the lobby in a run, but instead of finding safety they found themselves in another mass of confused, panicked people, ducking and dodging debris that continually rained down from the damaged buildings. 

John felt his phone again. "Bailey?" he answered.  

            "Where are you John?  Are you guys out of the building yet?" Bailey asked, though the static on the phone made it difficult to hear. 

            "We are being told to go out through the subway.  It's so smoky I can't tell where we are but I am pretty sure we are in the lobby." He began to cough as the dust coated his throat.

            "Listen, the Pentagon has also been hit, another plane.  The Marriott is out; I don't know how close we can get down there.  You and George just head up West Street and we'll meet you at the corner of Canal Street, ok?"

Bailey waited a minute, "John, are you there?" Sam looked over at Bailey, concern etched in her face. "Don't worry," he said, "the transmission was interrupted. We'll see them in a few minutes." He hoped that he was telling the truth.

John and George had made their way toward the stairway to the subway. The crowd was remaining fairly calm considering they now could see the debris outside of the building.   Emergency workers were helping move people to safety and between their shouting and the crashing of pieces of building outside it was almost impossible to hear yourself think.  But in the middle of all this chaos, John heard a voice.  One voice that rose above all the terrible clamor, a voice that sounded desperate and scared.  He spun around, trying to locate where the sound was coming from, and then he saw her.  She looked only about 19, and was wearing what must have been a very bright, cheerful summer dress but it was now covered in a gray coat of dust and soot.  She was standing with several young children and she was screaming "Annalise, Annalise!" John turned away from the exit to the subway that would lead him out of this hell and ran back into the lobby.  George had seen what had caught John's attention and followed him towards the panic-stricken woman.

"What's wrong?" John asked as he reached the young woman.  

"I have to go back," she screamed.  Her face was covered in tears and soot and she had a large gash on her forehead. She pleaded with John to let her go.

            "You can't, it's too dangerous" he tried to reason with her.  George had come up behind them and also tried to convince the young woman to leave with them.

"Annalise, I can't go. Annalise is missing," she cried.

John grabbed her by her shoulders to try and calm her down. "Who is Annalise?" he asked, making eye contact with her. The woman stopped crying for a moment and looked at the man who had her by the shoulders.  She tried to focus on what he was saying, on what he was asking.  "She's my student.  She's one of my students," she said looking down at the small group of frightened children huddled around her.  "She's gone. She was Erin's partner but somehow they let go of each others hands."

John looked down at a small dark haired girl.  Tears and soot had stained her face and dress.

            "Where did you see her last?" John asked the small girl. She just buried her face in her teacher's side.  John looked back to the teacher who seemed to have regained her composure.  "Where did you last see her?" he asked again.

            "There," she pointed toward the stairwell they had just come out of. 

John glanced at George and then looked back to the young woman, "Take the rest of these kids down through the subway.  We'll stay and find...ahh"

            "Annalise," George inserted.

            "Yeah, Annalise.  What does she look like and what was she wearing?"  John asked the teacher.  The teacher gave them the description, she said she was 9 years old, had blonde hair and was wearing jeans and a red windbreaker. She then took the rest of her students and disappeared into the crowd moving down into the subway.  

            John turned to George and said, "You don't have to stay. You could get out of here and I wouldn't think anything of it."

George was a little hurt by that.  Hadn't John accepted him as an equal yet? George looked at John and realized it wasn't a judgment John was making, it was real concern about his safety.  

            "Right, and let you be the hero again!" George said with a smirk.

John patted him on the back.  "Let's split up, you take that side of the lobby and I'll check over here."

            The smoke and dust inside the building was oppressive and George had pulled out his handkerchief to cover his nose and mouth while John used his coat.  They figured she probably wouldn't have gone back up the stairs, and even if she had tried no one would have let her go.  They called her name as they searched in corners and behind the potted plants.  They figured that she was probably scared and tried to find a hiding place.  George had just finished looking under the reception desk when he glanced outside.  His heart dropped as he realized that little Annalise wasn't inside the building any longer but she had gone outside and into plaza, which was filled with falling debris

            "John!" George screamed.  "John, come quick, she's outside!" George yelled to John as he came running around the bank of elevators.

            "Oh shit!" John exclaimed as he saw what George was looking at.  Sitting in the plaza was a little huddled splotch of red, surrounded by pieces of steel and concrete.  Annalise had wandered outside and had rolled herself into a little ball about 30 yards away from the building.  

              Without saying a word, both men headed for the door but an EMT that was aiding in the evacuation stopped them.

            "Hey, you are going the wrong way," he shouted as he grabbed a hold of George's shirt.

John pulled out his badge and flashed it at the guy.

            "It doesn't matter.  You can't go out that way. The building is falling apart, you'll get smashed by a piece of it if you go that way," the young technician told them.

            "Listen," John said very tersely,  "there is a little girl out there and I am going to get her before _she _gets smashed. Now kindly let go of my colleague."  

The EMT realized he wasn't going to stop these guys and let go of George and watched as they both went running out into chaos.  When they reached the girl they were both happy to see she wasn't hurt.  She was just scared.  George kneeled down to see if he could get the girl to look at him.

            "Hi there," he said, reaching out to put his hand on her shoulder.  She pulled away from him.  "Annalise," he tried again. "We are going to get you out of here, ok?"  But again, she pulled away and buried her face deeper into her lap.

Steel and concrete continued to rain down all around them and John was getting impatient.

            "Here let me try," John said as he pulled George away from the girl.  George knew John was not the most gentle of people.  "She's afraid of us, she's been told not to go with strangers, we're strangers." George warned John.

            "Were not strangers, were the FBI." John squatted down and put his face very close to her.  "Hi, Annalise, I'm John.  I'm a police officer, and I need you to come with me, ok?"

            She lifted her head and looked at him with apprehension and then finally said, "If you are a police officer, then can I see your badge?"

            John smiled.  "Of course, now take my hand we need to get out of here."

9:58 

Bailey and Sam had just arrived at the corner of West and Canal.  The place was chaos.  Civilians were streaming away from the Towers as emergency personal continued to rush toward them.  As they scanned the crowds looking for John and George they felt a rumble.  It started low and deep and they felt it in the pit of their stomachs.  They heard someone scream and Sam looked over toward the Towers.  She saw the top begin to collapse onto itself and she felt her heart sink as each floor of the South tower came crashing towards the earth.

            John had scooped the little girl into his arms and was following George back to the building when they heard the rumble.  At first John thought maybe another plane had crashed but when he saw George look up and he saw the shear terror reflected in his eyes, John knew that this was far worse. They realized that they weren't going back into the collapsing building but they weren't sure which way to go. The noise approached deafening levels as the tower roared down upon them.  Just then, they saw another building across the Plaza and decided that that would be their only hope.  George had gotten ahead of John and the girl and was looking for a place for them to find some kind of protection.  George grabbed for a door and swung it open as John ran through with the little girl.  George followed but before the door had closed the cloud of debris caught them from behind.  The last thing George remembered was a whistling sound come up behind him.  The impact blew the three of them across the lobby of building 5.

10:00 am 

Sam and Bailey stood helpless as they looked toward where the south tower had stood.  Fear swept through Sam as she tried not to think the worst.

            "They made it out Sam," Bailey comforted.  "They made it out."

Sam could tell Bailey wasn't anymore convinced of that then she was but all she could say was, "He has to."

            The emergency personal were busy helping those who had escaped, directing them to safety, washing the dust and soot out of their eyes and mouths. In all the chaos, Sam continued her look out for John, hoping he would emerge out of the crowd and into her arms.  Sam was brought back to reality by the sound of Bailey's phone.  Bailey answered it before it could ring twice.

            "John?" Bailey asked. 

            "No Bailey, it's me," Grace answered. "Have you heard anything from George or John?"

            Bailey looked over to Sam and shook his head.  Sam's attention drifted back toward the scene as Bailey filled Grace in on the level of destruction in New York.  People were still pouring out of the area and there were thousands of them.  Sam looked for a better vantage point for scanning the crowd but couldn't find one.  Finally, dejected and emotionally fatigued she walked over to some steps and sat down.  Bailey was still on the phone talking with Grace when Sam felt herself starting to come undone.

            'I've got to hold it together,' she thought to herself.  'If we are going to find John and George, I can't be falling apart.'  Her mind began to drift back to the wonderful weekend before.  Back before all of this madness began.

September 8, 7:05 pm 

            He was late.  Maybe she shouldn't have agreed to go out to dinner with John.  He kind of took her by surprise when he asked her.  Was this a date, she thought? No, they were just friends.  Still, she knew how he felt about her.  He may be good at hiding his feelings about everything else, but he never was any good at hiding his feelings for her.    She looked at her watch and then the clock above the stove.  They both read 7:05.  She looked out the front window but there were no cars moving on her street.  A thought flashed through her mind, what if he had been in an accident?  Suddenly a searing pain shot through her heart and stopped in the pit of her stomach.  The feeling shocked her.  Although she knew she would feel a sense of worry over any friend, she hadn't expected such a deep reaction like that.  Maybe there were more to her feelings for John then she wanted to admit.  Before she had a chance to think anymore on the subject, she heard a car screech to a halt in front of the fire station.  A minute later she heard Johns' voice over the intercom.  She felt her body relax at the sound of his voice and when she became aware of the effect his voice was having on her she felt very self-conscience. 

She rushed down to meet him, hoping she could get a way from those feelings she was having but as soon as she saw him, she knew that it wouldn't be that easy.  He was dressed in a black suit with a dark blue shirt and matching tie.  She knew John had impeccable taste in clothing but tonight he had out done himself.  He was the definition of a sharp dressed man.  She on the other hand looked very different then she did at the office.  She was wearing a silky red strapless dress. Looking at her bare, smooth shoulders, John was speechless.  Sam looked at him as he just stood there, staring at her.

            "Ah, hello?" she said snapping him out of his stupor.

He took his eyes off her shoulders and tried to re-gain his composure.  "You look, ah, ah, beautiful, Sam, ah, tonight." Was all he managed to stammer out.

She smiled and laughed softly, "Thank you, you don't look so shabby yourself." 

**9:45 pm**

Dinner was wonderful.  John had taken her to a little bistro that was definitely off the beaten path. As the evening progressed Sam couldn't help thinking about how handsome John was.  She always thought he was good looking but the more she looked at him, the more she found herself drawn towards him.   He was charming and witty too, once he relaxed.  The longer they talked the more Sam felt herself falling for him.  She couldn't help but wonder why it had taken her so long to realize it but as quickly as the question came to her so did the answer, Jack.  Then it all started to become clear. She put up a wall between her and her feelings for John because deep down she knew that if she loved him, then the same fate that found her husband Tom and her boyfriend, Coop would also find John.  She knew she couldn't go through that again.  Suddenly her mind began clearing those wonderful feelings she was having toward John.  John noticed the change in her demeanor.  

            "What's wrong?" he asked. He was beginning to think he might have said something wrong or offensive.

            "Nothing," she lied, "I was just thinking of how full I was.  This was a wonderful dinner John, Thank you." 

He wasn't sure how to take that.  Was she indicating the evening was over or was it just a simple comment?  John couldn't believe how unsure of himself he was around Sam.  This woman just did something to him.

            "Do you want to go somewhere?" he asked

She glanced at her watch. 'Uh oh,' he thought, 'that is definitely not a good sign.'

Almost like she could read his mind, she smiled and answered, "Sure, the night is still young."


	3. September 8, 10:00pm

**10:00 pm**

John took her to a small, out of the way bookstore and coffee house.  They sat down at a small back table.  The waitress came over, "Hi John, your usual?" she asked.

John looked over at Sam, the surprised look on her face made him laugh. As they were waiting for their drinks, Sam glanced around the place.  It was filled with a décor as eclectic as the clientele.  Sam never had guessed John was the type that would frequent a 'Beat Bar' but after tonight, very few things would surprise her where John was concerned.  They drank chai and listened to a few wanna-be poets and musicians belt out their stuff on a small stage in the center of the coffee house. The place was very serene if not surreal and was a perfect place for Sam and John to end a very bizarre and wonderful night.  

They said their goodnights and headed out for John's car.  After they had both gotten in, John turned to Sam, "I know what you are thinking."  Sam certainly hoped he didn't know what she was thinking or she would be very embarrassed. She looked over at him, a slight blush across her face, "What?"

            "You're thinking, you didn't quite know me as well as you thought you did."

That wasn't exactly what she was thinking but she decided to go with it.  "You're right. I never pictured you as the 'Beat Bar' kind of guy. 'Strip Club' maybe but not 'Beat Bar.'" She said with a grin.

            "I'm full of surprises," he said as they pulled away from the coffee house.

'I don't doubt that,' Sam thought

**11:15 pm**

They pulled up to the firehouse and John jumped out to open Sam's door.  A couple of the agents were standing outside the firehouse; Sam could sense that it made John a bit uneasy.  Sam could see how awkward John was feeling as they stood there, looking at each other, neither making a move.  Finally Sam couldn't take it any more and decided to help John along.

"Would you like to come in for a few minutes?" she asked.

She thought she would laugh out loud when she saw John's eyes get really wide.  His answer was equally as amusing as he stammered and stuttered his way through.   

            "Yes, of course…. Ahh well, if its ok, I mean if ahh, well you know, ahh Chloe…" John sputtered becoming very self-conscious.

'He is concerned about Chloe,' she thought.  She couldn't get over how John could be so innocent and sweet at times and other times, most times, he could be so obnoxious, egotistical and macho. But he was being sweet and innocent, so she reached out and took his hand and led him towards the front door.

            "It's okay, Chloe is spending the weekend with Angel at her parents house. Come on."

September 11, 10:28 am 

Sam was jolted back to reality by the now familiar rumble.  She looked up the street towards the last remaining tower and watched in horror as it too collapsed onto itself and came crashing to the streets of New York City.  When the tower finally had come to rest an eerie silence descended on the city but only for a brief moment.  Then, sirens filled the silence and the chaos around Sam began again.

Bailey came running over to Sam.   "What's wrong, did you find him?" she inquired.

"No, I haven't heard from them but everyone is being moved back."  He reached down and helped Sam up from the steps.  They moved farther away from where the Twin Towers once stood and where John was last heard from.  

* * * 

The roaring finally began to subside but the sound of crying filled the void.  John opened his eyes slowly but it didn't help him see any better for he found himself surrounded by heavy soot and dust.  It was dark and although he couldn't see her, John could tell where Annalise was from the sound of her crying.  He quickly took inventory of himself.  He was alive, but that was about all he was sure of. He tried to move but soon realized that his legs were trapped under some debris and the shooting pain that traveled up his body was a good indication that at least one of his legs was broken.  He also realized that he was having difficulty breathing.  The dust in the air was so thick that his throat quickly became coated.  He tried to call out for George but ended up coughing instead.  From across the room George too was assessing his own condition when he heard the coughing.  

            "John, John, is that you?" George managed to get out before he also began coughing.

            "George!" John answered, his voice gravely and ragged.

            "Are you okay?" George asked. 

After another bout of coughing, John was finally able to respond. "Yeah, I think. You?"

George pulled himself up into a sitting position and then realized that the side of his shirt was soaking wet.  He quickly reached for his side and back, feeling around for any wounds but he couldn't find any.  He realized that he was sore but he wasn't experiencing any major pain.  He began to feel around himself and found the source of the wetness, an overturned water dispenser.

            "I'm okay too," he yelled out.

He found the water bottle lying on its side and pulled it towards himself and sat it upright.  It felt like there was still quite a bit of water in it.  He pulled the bottle up to his lips and took a small drink.  The cool water felt so good as it washed away the dust in his throat. 

            "John, where is the girl?" George shouted.

            "She is over by me." John replied and then said in the direction of the crying, "Annalise, are you okay?"  There was no response at first, just more crying but finally a small voice said, "yes."

"John, can you move over this way? I found some water." George yelled over to his friend.  John tried to pull his legs out again but was met with the same response, a burning pain searing up through his legs and into his torso.

            " No," John said, fighting through the pain. "My legs are trapped.  I'm not going anywhere."

            "Fine, I'll come to you" George said, grabbing the bottle and crawling in the direction of John's voice.  

            "Go to the girl first." John told him.  He was trying to relax but the pain continued and escaped into his voice.

            "John, what's wrong? Are you okay?" George asked with concern, hearing the pain in his friend's voice.  John laid his head on the ground and closed his eyes trying to gain control over his voice.  "I'm okay, it's just my throat.  I have all this shit in it, it's hard to talk."  It was partly true, he was having difficulty talking and breathing because of the dust but he really _wasn't_ okay.  He could feel blood on his leg and knew that on top of a break he also had some bad wounds. "Just get the girl first, please" 

George could tell John wasn't okay but he knew he'd be even worse if George didn't check on Annalise first.  He continued crawling toward the soft crying sounds of the little girl until he literally ran across her.  He found her much like they did the first time, rolled up in a little ball, but this time she talked to him.  

            "I'm okay," she said as he felt a small hand reach out to him in the darkness.

* * * 

Bailey and Sam had moved to a makeshift emergency center.  There were lots of personnel but very few injured to take care of.  One on hand, it's good to see so few people injured, Sam thought to herself, but it's probably because most people didn't….

She stopped her thought.  She couldn't go there.  There had to be survivors, John had to be okay.  Bailey's phone interrupted Sam's thoughts.  

            "Malone, yeah, she's right here." Bailey looked over at Sam and handed her the phone.  

            "Sam Waters."

            "Mom? Is that you?" came a small frightened voice.

            "Chloe!  Honey, yes this is mom," Sam responded.  She couldn't believe that in all this chaos she didn't even think that Chloe would have heard about the attack.  

            "Are you alright mom?  Were you there?"

            "Yes sweetie, I'm fine.  I wasn't there when it happened but…." Sam had to decide quickly if she wanted to burden Chloe with worry about John and George.  She quickly thought against it.  It has been traumatic enough for her just knowing that Sam was in New York.

            "But what mom?" Chloe interrupted.

            "Ah… but I'm here now.  Uncle Bailey and I are helping the emergency crews here."  

            Chloe relaxed a bit.  "You aren't near any danger are you?"

            "No, dear, we are far enough away.  Listen, give Angel a kiss for me and tell her I'll call her tonight with more news."  Sam hung up the phone and handed it back to Bailey.  

            "I'll tell her about John and George when we know something."  Sam said turning back toward where the towers once stood.

            "I understand Sam," Bailey said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "I'm worried about them too."

            Sam knew that Bailey was sincere about his concern but he had no idea how deep her concern for John went.  As she stared at the billowing clouds of dust that had overtaken the city she closed her eyes to think about better times.

September 8, 11:30 pm 

Sam couldn't believe she really had invited John back to her place.  Granted, he had been there many times but they were always working on a case or something professional. She just had gone out on a date with him.  A date!  That was what it really was and she really enjoyed it.  Sam collapsed onto the couch, hoping John would join her but instead he just stood there.  Finally, Sam intervened again, "Just sit down!"  Honestly she couldn't figure out what was going on with him.  Was he really interested in her or did she really misread the situation.  For Christ's sake, that's what I does for a living, read people, understand their motives and here I can't figure this guy out to save my life!  

"What's wrong with you tonight? You have been acting so goofy!" Sam blurted out.  Oh dear God, did I just call him 'goofy' she thought to herself.  She looked over at him as he finally sat down on the couch, except he sat as far away from her as he could.  She started giggling.  He was in love with her; nothing else could explain why the always calm and cool Agent Grant would be acting so insecure.   No one would ever believe her if she described John's behavior tonight to them!

            "So…whaddya want to do?" her eyebrows jumping as she asked.

She knew she shouldn't be doing this, flirting with John.  It wasn't right, she knew how he felt about her, and it really wasn't fair. But it sure was fun!  Again, she caught him unprepared, no witty come back, "Something to drink?" was all he managed to get out.

Sam got off the couch and headed for the kitchen.  She hadn't realized that John also had gotten up and was following her into the kitchen.  On the way in she asked him what he wanted and when she turned to hear his answer she found herself standing dangerously close to him.  She felt her body shudder as she looked up into his beautiful deep blue eyes.  Before she could stop herself she threw her arms around his neck and felt his lips press against hers.     

After a few seconds she realized what she was doing.  She was kissing John Grant!  The thought of stopping quickly disappeared when she felt his hands slide across her back and then slowing down the small of her back and on to her butt.  She reciprocated and found her hands exploring him also.  She could feel the muscles across his back and shoulders and then she slipped her hands onto his chest.  Oh…his chest was so nice, so strong.  She began to push and run her fingers down it.  John suddenly pulled away.

            "What…what's wrong?" she asked, shocked at the sudden end to their passion.

He looked scared.  What did I do, she thought?  Then she realized that in her excitement she had been pushing him away.

            "I'm sorry," he said.  "We shouldn't be doing this."

She took a step toward him and put her arms around his neck and looked up into his eyes, "Yes, we should."  He looked at her with surprise and then smiled.  

            "But…I thought you wanted me to st…" he began.

            "No, I want you …" she interrupted and then pulled him back into another deep, passionate kiss.

September 11, 11:15 am 

George had found John and had managed to bring Annalise and the water over to him.  He also remembered that he had a small flashlight on his key chain and used it to illuminate the pocket that they found themselves in.  

            "I wonder how much rubble is on top of us?" George mused.

John was still trapped but George had managed to wash out a few of his wounds and had wrapped the most severe with his shirt.  

            "I don't want to think about that George." John said, pain still colored his voice.

            "Do you think they are looking for us yet?"  George mused again.

John looked over at the girl.  She hadn't said much since she and George had moved over to him.  George was able to check her out and besides a few cuts and bruises she really was unscathed.  

            "George, help me take off my jacket." John said, ignoring his last question.  George moved over toward John but had a puzzled look on his face.

            "Why? You need it.  I don't want you going into shock."  George said, shining the light over at his friend.

            "Well, I think she's already is in shock." John said looking over to the little girl.  "She needs it more then I do."

George helped John remove his coat and then put it around the little girl. She remained unchanged.  John had another idea.

            "Annalise, do you still want to see my badge?" John asked.

Annalise looked over to him and then nodded.  "Check in the inside pocket of my jacket," John said to the girl.  She searched through the pocket but didn't find it.  She checked the other pockets as well.  George moved over to her and helped her look but neither of them found it.

"It's not there John," George said, moving back towards John.

 John was confused.  It had to be, where else could it be.  I had it in the lobby when I showed the EMT, "Wait a minute!" John suddenly shouted.  "It's in my pants pocket."  He remembered in his haste to get out to the girl in the plaza he just shoved it into his pants. John reached down to try and get it but because of the position he was stuck in, the strain of his reaching sent another wave of pain up his leg.

            "Arghhh!" he grunted.

            "What's wrong?" George asked quickly.

John tried to relax again but the pain was even worse this time.  He could feel his breath become labored as he tried to control the pain.  George rushed to his side and could see the pain in John's face when he pointed the light toward him.  

            "Jesus John! What's wrong?" George asked, panic filling his voice.

            "My leg… it's my leg.  It'll stop…arghhh," another wave of pain swept up his leg and into his torso.  Annalise began to cry again.  John, hearing her weeping, focused on her and tried to ignore the pain.

            "George, reach down, in my right front pocket is my badge, get it for me."  John said, looking at George with pain in his eyes.

George found John's badge and as he pulled it out of his pocket he brush against the cell phone still attached to John's belt.

            "Your phone! Try your phone!" George exclaimed as the realization that they just might make it out of this dawned on him.  John had completely forgotten about the phone and quickly pulled it off his belt. 

            "Listen Annalise, we're going to get you out of here, okay?" John said as he flipped the phone open.  George moved back over to the girl who looked a little brighter with the promise.  George shined the little flashlight on John's badge as he handed it to the little girl.

            "Here, see.  He was telling you the truth when he said we were police officers." George said as he handed the badge to Annalise.  She ran her finger over its edges and then clutched it and held it close to herself.  George stroked her hair and she leaned over against him.

            "I can't get anything.  Just a circuits busy message."  John said after several attempts to call out.  He closed the phone to conserve its battery and then laid his head back down against the ground.  George was getting worried about John.  He had seen the wounds on his legs and hips and a few of them were fairly serious.  George knew John was losing blood from the most serious gash on his left leg and he was pretty sure that leg was broken too.  He also had notice a bruise on the side of John's head and the possibility of concussion was there also.  It was pretty quiet over in John's direction so George flashed the light over upon him.  John was lying there, his eyes shut but pain still etched in his face.  

            "John, hey John!" George shouted.

John's eyes fluttered open and then shifted over toward the source of the light.

            "Yeah," John said very weakly.

George carefully laid Annalise down on the ground and told her he'd just be over with John.  She nodded, glanced over at John and held his badge even closer and tighter then before.  George quickly shifted position over next to John.  

            "Are you thirsty?" George inquired, taking a better look at the bump that had grown on the side of John's head. 

            "No, I'm fine, just tired."  John said as he closed his eyes again.

            "Hey, wake up! You can't sleep.  You took a pretty good shot to the head." George said with concern.

            "To my head?" John responded. "Well I guess we can rule out any internal injury."  His laugh was cut short as another wave of pain shot up his leg and he gasped for air.

            "Your leg?" George quickly asked, not knowing what he could possibly do to help his friend.

            "Mmm hmmm" John responded. "George, do me a favor, look at what's on my legs.  How much is there?  Am I going to get out of this?"

George had already seen what was piled on top of John; in fact he was pretty surprised, looking at all the debris on top of him, that John's legs were still attached.  He was lucky, the way that the concrete beam had fallen; the majority of the weight had been deposited elsewhere on the debris that surrounded John, wedging his legs.  If that concrete were to shift, then it would all come down on him.

            "You'll get out of it alright" George tried to reassure John.  "Just try not to move."

            "No problem." John responded, a smile creeping across his face. 


	4. September 11, noon

Noon 

            "Sam, here. You have to eat something." Bailey said as he held out half of a corned beef sandwich.  She just shook her head, "No thanks.  I'm not hungry."

Bailey re-wrapped the sandwich; he'd try to get her to eat later.

            "Have you tried his phone again?" Sam asked, never taking her eyes off of downtown and the billowing smoke.

            "I tried 5 minutes ago.  I still can't get a line.  Everyone and their brother must be calling in and out of New York."  Sam turned and looked at Bailey, the pain reflected deep in her eyes.  It was just beginning to dawn on Bailey that there was something deeper going on with Sam.  It's not that she wouldn't feel deeply for her friends, but there was something more, and Bailey was willing to bet it led to John.

            "I'll try again." He smiled and reached for his phone.

Sam had just turned back toward the destruction when she heard Bailey say he got through.  Sam flew over to Bailey, her eyes as wide as dinner plates but her hopes began to sink when she saw Bailey's expression turn.  He hung up his phone and looked at Sam very pensively.

            "I got his voice mail."  Bailey began.  Sam quickly turned away.  "He could have the phone turned off Sam, or he could have lost it in the evacuation."  Bailey tried to comfort her but he could see it wasn't helping.   He walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.  She turned to him and buried her face in his chest and began to sob.

* * *

"I'm hungry," a small voice said from somewhere in the dark.  A light flashed over onto the young girl sitting huddled next to a partially filled water dispenser bottle.  

"I'm hungry too," George answered her.  "What about you, John?"

John opened his eyes; the thought of food actually turned his stomach.  "No, not really," he said.  George looked down at his friend lying there, bleeding, in pain and trapped and there wasn't anything he could do for him.

George thought back to the first time he met John at the Atlanta Police Department.  He never would have imagined that day, that they would have become such good friends.  John was one of those obnoxious, macho kind of cops.  The kind that George fantasized about but would really never want a relationship with.  John walked into the room with such a strut that he immediately caught George's attention.  He wasn't bad to look at either, but George could tell right off that John wasn't the type who would be interested.  After listening to him small talk with his friends about his date the night before, George immediately knew that John was a ladies man all the way.  It was strange how their friendship grew both at the Atlanta PD and the VCTF.  After Nathan left, the bond between the two men got even stronger.  George knew he could always count on John, like the time he was mugged at the video store.  When he went after Luke Dickerson, John was there for him and helped him through it.  Now, John was in seriously trouble. Hell, they all were in serious trouble.  They had no idea what it was like outside this tomb they had become enclosed in.  Had there been more attacks?  Was anyone out there digging for them?  How many people died in this thing, George wondered.  He thought back to the firefighters rushing up the stairs.  Were they still in the building when it came down?  This was the first time George had stopped to think about the gravity of the situation.  His thoughts were interrupted by a moan from John.

George flashed the light over on John's face.  His eyes were shut again but he could tell he wasn't sleeping; it looked more like he was trying to shut out the pain.

            "John, hey.  What do you think about the World Series? Who do you think will go?"  George said trying to take John's mind off of the pain.  John opened his eyes and looked up at his friend with an expression that said 'Are you kidding?'  

            "Okay, so you don't want to talk about baseball, what do you want to talk about?"  George said with an understanding smile.

            "Call again." John said simply.  The pain continued coursing through his upper leg, from the thigh up through his hips and into the small of his back. Although the pain was a concern to him, it was the lack of pain he was feeling below his left knee that was a bigger concern.  George had flipped open the phone and pressed the re-dial.   

* * *

Bailey and Sam had just started walking over to a small command center that had been set up by the NYPD when Bailey's phone rang.

            "Malone," Bailey answered putting his arm around Sam's shoulders as they continued to walk.

            "Bailey?  Is that you Bailey?"  The connection wasn't very good.  There was a lot of static and Bailey had a hard time hearing the caller.

            "This is Malone, who is this?"  Bailey and Sam had stopped and she looked at him very intently, hoping that it might be good news.

            "Bailey, it's George.  We're tra…." The line went dead.  Bailey called back several times but once again he only got an 'all circuits are busy' message.  Bailey looked to Sam, her eyes wide and filled with anticipation.  

            "Well, they're alive." Bailey said as a small consolation.    "Let's go grab some coffee." He gave Sam a squeeze and they began walking again toward the command center.

* * *

"Bailey? Bailey!?" George shouted into the phone. "Damn line is dead" George cursed as he slammed the phone shut.   "Well, at least they know we are alive."

            "For now." John said weakly.

George was about to scold John for his negative thinking when he was stopped by the sounds of movement a few feet away from him.  Annalise had crawled over to where the two men were. 

            "What are you doing over here honey?" George asked shining the light on her.

            "I'm cold and hungry," she replied simply.

            "My coat not warm enough for you?"  John asked.

Annalise pulled the coat tighter around herself.  "No, it's fine," she said. John shifted his upper body and quickly regretted the move. "Maybe you should come and sit here between George and me.  It might be warmer." John said, his voice tight and controlled.

Annalise quickly moved in between the two men.  John began to take off his suit jacket when George reached over to stop him.

            "What are you doing?" George exclaimed as he placed his hand on John's shoulder. 

            "Here, just help me take this off."  John said, ignoring both George's plea and the pain.  George helped him out of his suit jacket.  It had seen better days.  The bottom was torn ragged and there was a hole in the sleeve.  John took the jacket and laid it out on the ground next to him.

            "Here, lay down on this.  With this under you and my coat on top, you should be okay."  Annalise laid down on the jacket and George laid the coat over her and within ten minutes she was fast asleep.

George looked at the sleeping girl and then over to his friend. "So, now you'll be cold."

John smiled, "Turn off the flashlight and save the battery."

**5:25 pm**

It happened again.  A roar that began like distant thunder and grew and grew until it felt as if it would consume them all.  George, John and Annalise were awakened by the sound and huddled together in the ruins of World Trade Center building 5; their home…their prison for the last 7 hours.  The rumble emanated through the concrete and other debris surrounding them, kicking up the dust and filling the air with the suffocating particulate.  George thought about the concrete beams that were precariously perched over John and silently said a prayer that the whole thing wasn't going to come down on them.  Soon, the rumbling died away and eventually the dust settled back down.  They had little idea what new catastrophe had just occurred outside.

* * *

The new collapse had once again drawn everyone's attention back down to the plaza.  Bailey and Sam moved to try and get a better view of what was happening.  They couldn't see anything but did overhear a call on the police radio that building 7 had just collapsed.  Before Bailey could move or say anything, Sam turned toward him and demanded, "Call them!"  Bailey quickly opened his phone and dialed John's cell.  

George's thoughts of a cave in were quickly shaken by the sound of the cell phone.  He heard John move but knew that the phone was out of his reach.

            "I have it John." George said as he answered the phone. "Bailey? Is that you?"

This time the connection was strong and Bailey could hear George loud and clear.

            "Yes, George, it's me." Bailey responded, a smile spreading across his face.  "Are you guys okay?  Where are you?"

            "We're in one of the buildings near the towers.  We have a young girl with us."

            "Do you know which building? Are any of you hurt?" Bailey continued with the questions.

            "It's one of the smaller ones across the plaza from the towers.  We got stuck out in the plaza when the building came down so we ran for it and made it here," George told him.  "John's hurt.  He is trapped under some beams. Both the girl and I are okay though."

Bailey's eyes shifted to Sam and then off somewhere over her shoulder.  

            "What? How is he? Where are they?" Sam blurted out but Bailey didn't respond to her he just turned away.

            "How bad is he?" Bailey asked, trying not to let Sam over hear him.  He wanted to wait until he had something to tell her.

            "He needs help, Bailey.  His left leg looks broken, a compound fraction and his right leg is pretty torn up too.  

Bailey knew he couldn't let his emotions get the better of him; he had to stay cool and stay in control.  "Okay George, what building are you guys in?"

George did his best to explain their location but he had no idea what it looked like at ground zero.  The geography of New York had been changed and what it looked like when George and John went in to building 5 was nothing like the mountain of rubble that was sitting there now.  Bailey told George to conserve the battery and that he would call them back in no more then a half an hour.

George hung up the phone and flashed the light over toward John.  Annalise was sound a sleep again cuddled up against John.  John had his eyes closed but he wasn't sleeping.  He was mulling over his own mortality.  Thinking about all those things he was never going to get to do, and all those things he was never going to get to say.  All the things he wanted, no needed to say to Sam.  He knew he loved her, why didn't he just say so.  Does she realize that he loves her, after last weekend she should, but he never said the words to her.  

September 8 midnight 

John had carried Sam to her bedroom and laid her gently on the bed.  He was still kissing her as she laid back and pulled him on top of her.  He quickly removed his suit jacket before his hands began caressing her shoulders and back and then he moved them slowly down her waist and thigh.  John thought he must be dreaming, a wonderful, vivid dream, but a dream none the less.  As he continued to touch the body he had only fantasized about, he prayed that no one would wake him, at least not yet.  His hand slowly began to slip up the side of her dress, pulling it up as he went.  He moved down from her lips to her neck and began to nibble.  Sam, for her part had already pulled his shirt up and he only pulled his mouth from her to allow her to pull the shirt over his head.  Sam's hands were all over his chest and back but abruptly she stopped.  She pushed him up, off her and sat up.  He stood there looking confused as Sam stood up.

            "It's okay…" she began but John interrupted her.

            "Sam, look, if you don't want to, I understand.  This is all…well…kind of quick."

Sam smiled.  She just stood there taking in the view; John, half naked with his incredible upper body and a noticeably growing budge standing no more then 6 inches from her. How could she _not_ want him!? "John, I told you, this is what I want."

She then slowly slipped her dress off, letting it fall casually at her feet.  Now it was John's turn to enjoy the view.  His heart was racing and his breath became shallower, as he gazed at Sam.  The beautiful shoulders he had enjoyed all night gave way to soft full breasts. He wanted her so bad for so long and now, he was getting his chance.  He took a half step toward her brushed his fingers down her shoulders and across her breasts.  Her nipples were already very erect but the sensation of his hands sent a tingle throughout her whole body.  He wrapped his arms around her and lowered her once again onto the bed.  He kissed her softly and then moved down to her chest.  While he kissed one breast, he gently massaged the other.  She could feel him circling her nipple with his tongue and then his mouth engulfed the rest of her breast.  He didn't stay to long before he switch sides and gave her left breast equal treatment.  Sam had her eyes closed as she let John have his way with her.  She felt him moved down her belly and as his hands slid along her thighs, she felt him reach her panties.  Sam let out a moan as John continued kissing her and touching her.  She knew she could let him continue all night but she wanted to participate in this as well. 

            "John," she said breathy as she tried to sit up slightly.

            "Mmmm" John said without stopping what he was doing.

            "John," Sam said again this time more forcefully.

John looked up, wondering if he had done something wrong.  But one look at her face, told him he was doing everything right.

            "What, Sam?" he asked as he continued to rub the inside of her thighs.

            "My turn," she said as she stood up and backed him up a few steps.  He still was a little confused but it all became clear when he felt Sam undo his belt and slowly pull off his pants and boxers.  She pulled him toward her and they both laid down on the bed but this time, with John on his back and Sam completely in charge.  She kissed him gently on the mouth and ran her fingers through his curly hair.  He tried to embrace her but she pulled back and looked down onto him.  She ran her fingers across his chest and then began covering it with kisses.  She worked her way down his hard stomach and as she reached his abdomen, she felt him quiver.  When she finally reached his penis she slowly stroked down the shaft and massaged his balls.  John gasped when he felt her lips brush up against it.   Although he was already rock hard, Sam could feel him grow even harder with each kiss she gave him.  John reached down and stroked her hair and then drew her back up towards him.  He smoothly changed positions with her and now he was gazing down upon her.  He slowly eased into her, as she let out a gasp.  It was everything he had dreamed about and more.  He held himself over her as he began to gently thrust his hips.  He was enjoying watching Sam enjoy him.  As he increased his motion she began to let out small moans and they got louder with his increasing speed.  Their two bodies moved as one, connected in the most intimate way.  Her nails were raking across his back and shoulders as they reached a fevered pace.  John had finally reached his climax but he could tell Sam was still in the throws of hers so he continued until he could feel her body begin to relax.  


	5. September 11, 5:40 pm

September 11, 5:40 pm 

No sooner then Bailey had closed his phone had Sam gotten in his face.

            "How are they Bailey?" she asked, looking more frightened then he had seen her look all day.

            "They're okay," Bailey responded.  He knew he would have to tell her John's condition and if he kept it from her any longer she would probably never forgive him.

            "John's hurt," he said flatly.  Sam already knew something was wrong, but hearing Bailey's tone made her realize that it was very serious.

            "How bad?" 

            "George thinks he has a broken leg and several serious wounds," Bailey said, reaching out to place his hand on her shoulder.  "He's trapped under some concrete beams."

            Sam was visibly shaken but knew she had to hold herself together if they were going to find them and get them out safe. "Where are they? We need to get some men in there to get them out."

            They began to walk over to the command center. "They aren't quite sure, but we'll figure it out, Sam.  I promise."

They were able to get a map of the plaza and from George's description of the direction they were going out of Tower 2; the most likely place they went was building 5.  Bailey had explained to the commander what the situation was and they immediately got a rescue team together.  The firemen who gathered at the command center to be briefed about the rescue were tired.  They had been working all day under horrible conditions.  They knew that 100s of their own lay buried within the rubble but when they got word that there were confirmed survivors their adrenaline kicked in.  This is what they were trained to do, save people, not recover bodies.

Sam and Bailey accompanied them to ground zero and took up position at another makeshift command post.  Although they figured George and John had entered into building 5 from the west side, there was no way the rescuers were going to even find the west side as it was buried under 10 stories of debris.  Their best bet was to go at the building from the east side.  Although there was still a lot of debris and rubble it was manageable and equally important, they had much better access from Church Street.  It was nearly 7 pm when the team began the digging.

Bailey had tried to call George around 6:00 but once again wasn't able to get a line but at about the same time the crew began their assault on the rubble, Bailey finally connected.  George noticed that Bailey's voice was much more relaxed and he also felt himself relax a bit when he heard that a rescue crew had began to look for them.  Although Bailey didn't want to relinquish the connection he knew that George needed to turn off the phone to conserve the power.  They really had no idea how long it would take to find them.  George filled John in on the progress that had been made and although John smiled, George knew that if any of it were to matter, they would need to get there fast.

            "George," John said, his voice weak and gravely.

            "Do you want some water, John?" George asked, reaching for the water bottle.

            "No, I need you to do something for me.  Something really important, you know, if I don't…" 

            George interrupted him, "John, you're going to make it out of this just fine. Okay?"

            John closed his eyes and licked his lips.  He took a deep breath and continued.  "Listen, just in case, please?"  He was struggling to control his voice, the combination of pain and emotion made this even more difficult.

            George, sensing that this was important, agreed to do whatever John wanted.

            "Tell Sam that I love her, and that I am sorry I didn't tell her Sunday."

George hesitated as what John said sank in.  He wants me to declare his love for Sam, George thought to himself.

            "Did you hear me George?" John said weakly.

            "Ah, yeah, I did, but…" he answered.

            "Please, just tell her…" John stopped mid-sentence as pain radiated through his back.  He had stopped the feeling pain in his legs a while ago only to have it move up his body into his back.

            George had pulled out the phone again and hit re-dial several times until he got an open line.  

            "Bailey, yeah it's George.  Is Sam there?"  

At the sound of her name John's eyes flew open.  What was he doing, John thought briefly but even thinking seemed to wear him down.  It's not that he didn't want to talk to her; he did, desperately but not now.  He was having trouble focusing and he knew there was no way he could adequately tell her how he really felt.  He had so many things he needed to say, especially that he was sorry.  Although their night together was pure ecstasy, the next morning was a disaster.  When he woke up next to her he had a terrible feeling that she was going to regret what had happened.  So he quietly got up, took a quick shower and was starting to write her a note when she walked into the kitchen.  

            "What's that?" she asked, but she already knew what it was.

John felt his face flush as he looked up from the note. "I…ah…I was just leaving you a note."

            Sam felt hurt but quickly it turned to anger.  "A note? What's it say? 'Thanks for the good time.  Let's do it again soon'"

            He tried to explain to her that he didn't want her to feel awkward, just in case she regretted what happened last night, but before he even got two words out, Sam exploded.

            "Get out!" she yelled.  John looked shocked but complied.  As he walked into the elevator he heard her say, "I can't believe I slept with you."

John and Sam hardly said a word to each other the next day at work and they said even less Tuesday when they arrived in New York.  And now? What was he going to say to her?  Did she even want to listen to anything he had to say? Before he had a chance to think over those questions George thrust the phone at him.  "Talk to her," was all he said.

John took the cell phone from George, not quite sure what he was going to say but once again Sam took the lead.

            "John?  John? Are you there?" Just hearing Sam's voice made John feel a little better.

            "Yeah, I'm right here." John took a deep breath,   "Listen Sam, about last weekend…" 

            "John, it's okay. We can talk when they get you guys out of there.  The rescue team should be there soon.  Are you okay?"  There was so much Sam wanted to say but she didn't want to do it over the phone.  All she wanted right then was to hold John in her arms and tell him that she loved him.

            "No, I need to tell you something." John said urgently but before he could continue they heard rumbling again.

George began to look around, flashing the light in every direction trying to see where the noise was coming from.  

            "Here we go again." George declared as he reached out for Annalise. The little girl had crawled to the other side of George and stood up.

            "Look, look over there!" she cried. George quickly turned around and saw what she was shouting about.  A small flicker of light was escaping through a crevice in what used to be a wall.  John tried to look also just the slight shift in his body caused another shot of pain into his back.

            "Arghh" he groaned, not realizing he did so into the phone.

            "John!" Sam screamed into the phone.  Bailey rushed over to Sam when he heard her shout.

            "What? What's happening?" Bailey asked, grabbing Sam by the shoulder.

            "I don't know." she said to Bailey before turning her attention back to the phone.  "John? John what's happening? Are you all right?"

             "They're here." John said weakly.  "You were right Sam, they've come.  I…" The rest was drowned out by the sounds of men's shouts and of concrete being moved.

"I love you, John." she said as she closed the phone and looked up at Bailey.  "The rescue crew is there."

            "That's great news Sam!" Bailey exclaimed but his smile soon faded as he looked at the frown on Sam's face.  "What's wrong?" he asked.

            "He sounded…he didn't sound that good.  Bailey, what if they are too late?" Sam pleaded.

            "The rescue crew is there, they aren't too late.  They'll have them out of there real soon, Sam.  It will be okay."  Bailey pulled Sam in to his embrace and gave her a long, hard squeeze.

September 12, 12:03 am 

The rescue crew had been working all night.  George and the little girl, Annalise had emerged from the wreckage two hours earlier.  Sam was able to see George only for a brief moment before he was whisked away in an ambulance.  Although George had told her that John was okay, the fact that he was still trapped in the partially collapsed building negated any hope George had tried to give her.  She had wanted to go in herself but between Bailey and the firemen she wasn't getting within 50 yards of the building.  

            "Sam, it's going to be all right." Bailey said, putting his arm around her shoulders. He handed her a cup of coffee, "Drink this, you need to get something warm in you."

Sam looked over at Bailey, her eyes were red and puffy.  "He's going to be all right." Bailey said again.

            "Then where is he?" Sam snapped back.  "Why haven't they brought him out, it's been 3 hours since they reached them, something's wrong."

She looked down at the coffee and then back up at Bailey, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap-" Bailey gave her a squeeze, "I know you didn't.  Sam you have to be strong for him."  Sam nodded and took a drink of her coffee.

"They're bringing out your man." one of the firemen yelled over to Bailey.  He and Sam immediately headed over to where the rescue workers were streaming out.  

            "Get that gurney over here."

Sam could see a group of paramedics slowly coming out of the building carrying a backboard.  She rushed over to them and saw John.  He didn't look good.  

            "How is he?" Sam asked one of the rescue workers.

            "He's alive, that's about all I can tell you right now.  We need to get him to the hospital right away."  He moved past her and helped load John into the waiting ambulance. Before she could even say anything, Bailey had her by the shoulders. "Let's go, we'll meet them at the hospital."

September 12, 6:05 am 

Sam walked into the dimly lit room.  John was lying in the bed; his left leg was in traction.  His eyes were closed and he was hooked up to oxygen. Sam silently slipped next to the chair beside his bed and took his hand.

            "John?  I'm here.  I'm right here for you. Please don't leave me."

He was pale but his skin was warm. That's a good sign Sam thought to herself.

            "There are so many things I want to tell you.  I understand about last weekend and I don't regret having made love to you." She closed her eyes and brought his hand up to her lips.  "Damn it John, I love you and I'm a fool for not telling you that sooner."

She felt his hand move; she felt it give a weak, little squeeze.  When she opened her eyes he was staring up at her. 

            "John!" she exclaimed. She leaned down and kissed his cheek.

            "I would never leave you." He said weakly

She touched her finger to his lips, "Shhhh don't talk."  His eyelids fell heavily back down and he struggled to open them again. "I love you, I've always loved you."  His eyes fell shut again.  She sat down in the chair next to his bed, never letting go of his hand.  She would be sure that she would be next to him when he woke again, and she would be there next to him for the rest of their lives.


End file.
